The road to the royal city was long, I spent my days riding on the horse in front of the slaver and my nights secured to a tree while he slept. I had stopped eating, speaking, and sleeping several days ago. This was annoying the slaver greatly because he said that I was losing my wonton fire. I’d never sell for a good price if I remained sickly looking, he tried to force feed me one night but soon after he’d finished I’d forced myself to throw it all back up. I’d gotten hit for that one but he hadn’t tried again. I didn’t care, my insides blazed with the thought of revenge. In a way I was getting it already, for if I died before getting to the royal city his plan for money would be foiled. It was currently night, close to dawn, and I was staring up at the moon. My mind was with my village, replaying the last days we’d had together in my mind, before that vile slaver had taken it all away. I’d pondered trying to kill him in his sleep but he slept to far away from the tree, my bonds weren’t long enough. I had lost some weight too, but I didn’t mind, as soon as the slaver was dead and I free I would gain it all back. The man stirred just as the sun began painting the sky a pale pink; he looked over at me and snorted.
“Still not sleeping…your going to regret that later.”
I didn’t move I tried my best to not even acknowledge him, acknowledging his existence gave a small sign that I cared what he said; this way…there were no delusions. He straightened up camp before pulling his horse over and moved my bonds from the tree to the saddle. Once he had gotten onto the horse he reached down and lifted me up, he stopped just before sitting me down and cursed.
“Your as light as a feather…we need to get some food in you.”
We rode nonstop through most of the day in silence; he had stopped long ago trying to provoke conversation out of me. Just as the sun began to head for its resting place we reached a slope that looked down into the large and very beautiful royal city.
This where my life would either begin anew…or end…for I would never be a slave!
To Be Continued
